Help me know the answer

[coksiw]

Ignatius to the Trallians (AD 70-115)
(Search "Many bodies" to find the paragraph) https://www.earlychristianwritings.c...ns-longer.html

Clement of Alexandria (AD 155-200)
The Stromata, or Miscellanies
(Search "many bodies" to find the paragraph)
http://www.earlychristianwritings.co...ata-book6.html

Irenaeus of Lyons (AD 120-200)
(Search for "were seen in their bodies")
https://www.earlychristianwritings.c...fragments.html


Sister you are going to find some weird stuff in there, like those risen saints are the O.T. saints that rose into immortality.

Sister Amanah's thoughts are my thoughts too about that passage.

Another passage indicating the saints resurrection is at His coming and no comments of some prior saints resurrection into immortality:

[1 Corinthians 15:23 NKJV] 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those [who are] Christ's at His coming.

The Apostles never developed Matt 27:53 or spoke about any resurrection into immortality that has already happened beside Jesus resurrection.

[Sister Alvear]

Thank you so much.

[loran adkins]

4/8/2024


Just my thought on the subject, for one I do not believe in what many call a rapture. I feel Paul is very clear in Corinthians that we will rise in a spiritual body when we die, I see no need for it to be physical in any way as we are going to be living in the spiritual realm of heaven.

As for those in the Matt. 27:52-53 passage.
Mat 27:52.. and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose,..
Mat 27:53.. and coming out of the tomb after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many...
There are two points that we see, many bodies, not all rose. Meaning not everyone that had died rose. I feel that only those that had died recently arose those that had not decomposed. They also had to be recognizable by those that were alive as having been dead. These were part of the physical resurrection,everyone else save Christ himself will be resurrected in their spirit when this physical body dies.

[Esaias]

Here's an older post I found:

Originally Posted by Esaias

Matthew 27:50-54 KJV
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. [51] And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; [52] And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, [53] And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. [54] Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

He states "many bodies of the saints arose and came out of the graves and went into the city and appeared unto many." His language is interesting.

1. He asserts they went into the city, not into heaven, Paradise, the Presence of God, the Third Heaven, etc, or any other term recognizable to a first century Judean as indicating THE Resurrection into "The World To Come".

2. He asserts the BODIES arose, went, appeared, etc. Thus he describes in definite terms a physical bodily resurrection of (formerly dead) bodies coming out of tombs, etc. Thus his language counters gnostic and Greek religious concepts of "life after death" and leaving the physical body behind to travel in a non material disembodied spirit-form to Elysian Fields, heaven, etc.

In other words, his terminology rules out the two possibilities that this event was either a resurrection into immortality according to the Judean conceptualization, or a "raising" into immortality according to the Greek conceptualisation. Or in other words, he is asserting this was NOT the resurrection into immortality that anybody might be looking forward to.

Hymenaeus and others had been claiming the resurrection had taken place already. Matthew's account is the ONLY place that speaks of any event that could be mistaken or pointed to as evidence of a past resurrection into immortality. In other words, after Christ's resurrection, either some dead people DID come back to life, or at least it appeared that way to many witnesses, and this event became the basis of a belief that "the resurrection has already occurred". So, to COUNTER that error, Matthew described what happened using terms that rule out this event from being the resurrection to immortality.

As for what happened to those people later, the text doesn't say.

[Steven Avery]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

Someone explain Matt, 27:53. What happened to these ressurrected saints?

Hi Sister Janice Alvear,

Matthew 27:50-53 (AV)
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

It is a superb question, and has been asked a few times recently, and I noticed there was a little conversation on:

Facebook - Janice Alvear
https://business.facebook.com/permal...&id=1444966586

And I have no idea why some posters were giving you a hard time here.

One question is whether this is related to:

Ephesians 4:8-10 (AV)
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

It does not seem to be related to the Corinthians section, which relates well to the appearance of Jesus in Galilee:

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (AV)
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

This gentleman (Aaron Ventura, pastor of Christ Covenant Church, CREC in Centralia, WA.) has a solid page with a history of some of the commentary from the early church writers, and the Reformation commentaries:

What Happened To The People Who Were Resurrected in Matthew 27:51-53? (2021)
Aaron Ventura
https://localchristendom.com/what-ha...tthew-2751-53/

Aaron's conclusion (he is I believe in a preterist camp) is that they were resurrected.

"this was a physical resurrection of the body, and that these saints ascended into heaven with Jesus and are currently reigning with Him in that resurrected state."

These links with many ECW (early church writers) quotes can help:

Church Fathers Scripture Index - Matthew 27:52 and Matthew 27:53
https://www.catholiccrossreference.o...ex.php/Matthew 27:52
https://www.catholiccrossreference.o...ex.php/Matthew 27:53

Ignatius is interesting.

Note that Augustine specifically notes that the account is only in Matthew's Gospel:

57. Matthew proceeds thus: “And the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after the resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” There is no reason to fear that these facts, which have been related only by Matthew, may appear to be inconsistent with the narratives presented by any one of the rest.

And the Gospel of Nicodemus (aka The Acts of Pilate) dated to the 4th century, is very interesting, as it mentions Symeon.

Joseph says: And why do you wonder that Jesus has risen? But it is wonderful that He has not risen alone, but that He has also raised many others of the dead who have appeared in Jerusalem to many. And if you do not know the others, Symeon at least, who received Jesus, and his two sons whom He has raised up—them at least you know. For we buried them not long ago; but now their tombs are seen open and empty, and they are alive, and dwelling in Arimathæa. They therefore sent men, and they found their tombs open and empty. Joseph says: Let us go to Arimathæa and find them.

================================

My Pure Bible Forum pages on this are light but may be improved in the future.

Matthew 27:53 - And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
https://www.purebibleforum.com/index...nto-many.4000/

Matthew 27:51-53 - many bodies of the saints which slept arose - 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 - seen of above five hundred brethren at once
https://www.purebibleforum.com/index...-at-once.3991/

==============================

Your question has spurred me to come up to speed!

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Steven Avery

Hi Sister Janice Alvear,

Matthew 27:50-53 (AV)
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

It is a superb question, and has been asked a few times recently, and I noticed there was a little conversation on:

Facebook - Janice Alvear
https://business.facebook.com/permal...&id=1444966586

And I have no idea why some posters were giving you a hard time here.

One question is whether this is related to:

Ephesians 4:8-10 (AV)
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

It does not seem to be related to the Corinthians section, which relates well to the appearance of Jesus in Galilee:

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (AV)
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

This gentleman (Aaron Ventura, pastor of Christ Covenant Church, CREC in Centralia, WA.) has a solid page with a history of some of the commentary from the early church writers, and the Reformation commentaries:

What Happened To The People Who Were Resurrected in Matthew 27:51-53? (2021)
Aaron Ventura
https://localchristendom.com/what-ha...tthew-2751-53/

Aaron's conclusion (he is I believe in a preterist camp) is that they were resurrected.

"this was a physical resurrection of the body, and that these saints ascended into heaven with Jesus and are currently reigning with Him in that resurrected state."

These links with many ECW (early church writers) quotes can help:

Church Fathers Scripture Index - Matthew 27:52 and Matthew 27:53
https://www.catholiccrossreference.o...ex.php/Matthew 27:52
https://www.catholiccrossreference.o...ex.php/Matthew 27:53

Ignatius is interesting.

Note that Augustine specifically notes that the account is only in Matthew's Gospel:

57. Matthew proceeds thus: “And the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after the resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” There is no reason to fear that these facts, which have been related only by Matthew, may appear to be inconsistent with the narratives presented by any one of the rest.

And the Gospel of Nicodemus (aka The Acts of Pilate) dated to the 4th century, is very interesting, as it mentions Symeon.

Joseph says: And why do you wonder that Jesus has risen? But it is wonderful that He has not risen alone, but that He has also raised many others of the dead who have appeared in Jerusalem to many. And if you do not know the others, Symeon at least, who received Jesus, and his two sons whom He has raised up—them at least you know. For we buried them not long ago; but now their tombs are seen open and empty, and they are alive, and dwelling in Arimathæa. They therefore sent men, and they found their tombs open and empty. Joseph says: Let us go to Arimathæa and find them.

================================

My Pure Bible Forum pages on this are light but may be improved in the future.

Matthew 27:53 - And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
https://www.purebibleforum.com/index...nto-many.4000/

Matthew 27:51-53 - many bodies of the saints which slept arose - 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 - seen of above five hundred brethren at once
https://www.purebibleforum.com/index...-at-once.3991/

==============================

Your question has spurred me to come up to speed!

The Bible is silent on these saints which arose and went into the city to show themselves. Period. If you would like to help the young lady out, don't you think it better if she was to state the obvious?

[Steven Avery]

I like to understand the scriptural connections and historical commentaries.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Steven Avery

I like to understand the scriptural connections and historical commentaries.

I absolutely understand where you are coming from. But you have studied the information in much greater detail. Also will continue to do further in depth research on these topics. Where the dear sister hasn't, and would most likely be better served by getting the skinny answer. Meaning, the short version. if she is questioned by a saint of God, or visiting Trinitarian, she is able to give them the short easy answer. Not offering them ancient tomes, or historical data. Just giving them what she has in a simple answer. The Bible doesn't say. The questioner knows this, and for the most part happy that our sister gave that as the answer. Even the visiting Trinitarian can't lure her into a debate. Because the obvious was given to them.

[Sister Alvear]

just a short answer was fine....

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

just a short answer was fine....

Always works.